[I’ve already bought a house in C City recently]
[You can come over when you’re free.]
Qin Yu had just returned from a studio. He usually worked part-time as a model, a habit he’d kept up for quite a long time during his four years in college. He couldn’t rely on just one gig to comfortably support himself at home.
He had just said goodbye to the lady who managed him at the studio, and as soon as he pulled out his phone, he saw these dizzying messages.
Come on, bro1I will keep using bro/dude, because I find it awkward to use 哥们 gēmen.. We’re in the same world, how are you so rich? How long have you been back in the country, and you’ve already bought a house?
The gap between people is just too wide.
[I’ve got some things going on lately, too busy. I’ll come when I’m free]
Qin Yu typed this response. Making empty promises, who couldn’t do that?
Looking up, he saw the subway was almost at his stop. Qin Yu pulled up his hoodie, stuffed his phone in his pocket, and put on an aloof expression.
What good was being tall and handsome if he still had to squeeze onto the subway every day to save money?
The 180cm tall Qin Yu stood expressionless among the crowd, his height making him conspicuous. A head taller than those around him, he always drew glances from others.
These looks felt like when he was photographed during his modeling jobs, giving him a sense of invaded privacy.
Especially when some people stared fixedly at him, trying to see what he looked like under the hood.
What a crappy life!
As the subway approached the station, the electronic female voice repeated the same announcement, and the crowd preparing to board stirred restlessly.
Qin Yu was used to all this. He changed his posture and took out his phone again, opening the chat with this guy with one hand.
When the train arrived, Qin Yu, standing in the middle of the crowd, didn’t need to move at all. He was directly pushed onto the train by the people behind him.
Heh, big city life is different. He was used to it.
[Mm, take care of yourself.]
[Image]
Qin Yu looked down at his phone, hesitated for a moment, then opened the image.
It was a photo of a modern-style interior. The composition was clever, with a wide-angle view that effortlessly showcased the entire room’s decor.
The room was clean and tidy. The other person seemed to be very hygienic, particular about their lifestyle.
Qin Yu stared expressionlessly at the phone screen for a while, using his thumb and index finger to zoom in and out, examining every detail of the image.
After a long while, he finally replied.
[?]
[What’s wrong?]
Feigning ignorance was one of Qin Yu’s great techniques for continuing conversations with this guy. After chatting for some time, there had been countless awkward silences. Qin Yu cringed just thinking about it.
He finally concluded that playing dumb could avoid most of these problems.
Well, wasn’t this just giving the other person the initiative in every possible way? For money, he had really racked his brains these past few days, probably losing countless hairs in the process.
[Showing you the newly decorated house]
Qin Yu: ……
Come on, man. How am I supposed to respond to that?
[Looks quite comfortable. Must be nice to live there]
Qin Yu replied perfunctorily.
[I hope so. Let me show you the study]
The other person responded.
Qin Yu looked up and saw the train was about to arrive at his station. Coincidentally, the electronic female voice began announcing again, making him click his tongue involuntarily.
A few minutes later, Qin Yu finally managed to squeeze off the train.
Looking around, he saw people who had just gotten off work, mostly looking down at their phones, their legs automatically following yesterday’s route home.
Qin Yu stared at this scene for a while, suddenly remembering what had just happened. He looked down at the chat box and saw that the other person’s message was from three minutes ago.
[Image]
[The bookshelf in the study is the brand you recommended before, custom-made. It was just delivered this morning]
[It’s really quite nice]
Qin Yu had no idea about any bookshelf, let alone brands or custom-made items.
[I’m glad you like it]
Qin Yu replied.
Standing at the subway exit, the oppressive atmosphere made Qin Yu uncomfortable. He frowned, no longer wanting to talk with the other person. He locked his phone screen and shoved it back into his pocket.
Still wearing his hoodie, hands in his pockets, he sidestepped to avoid colliding with an approaching pedestrian and headed toward the exit without looking back.
Emerging from the exit, the outside world lacked the inexplicable heaviness of the air inside. It was now dusk, with the last rays of sunlight climbing up the brick walls. Some corners of the old residential buildings had already entered nightfall.
The subway exit led directly to an area of old-style housing, mostly inhabited by locals who had settled here in the last century. The houses were almost as old as their residents.
Qin Yu rented a house in this neighborhood, simply because the buildings were old. Most young people had moved to the city center, leaving fewer local residents and less foot traffic, making the rent here cheaper.
Qin Yu walked through the narrow, dim streets. Occasionally, local dialects could be heard, but most of the time it was quiet.
Suddenly, he heard an unusual disturbance.
Qin Yu became alert, looking around, but saw nothing.
After pausing for half a minute, Qin Yu continued towards the end of the small alley.
Passing through the dim alley entrance, it seemed as if the setting sun had torn open a gap from some corner of the street, pouring out its last light.
As he walked on, besides his footsteps, it was eerily quiet.
Suddenly, everything turned white. Instinctively, Qin Yu closed his eyes.
A moment later, Qin Yu opened his eyes and understood what had happened.
He hadn’t expected such an open space in this old residential area. The setting sun was now level with the horizon at the edge of the street, its soft light filling the space.
Seeing this scene, Qin Yu’s mood improved considerably. He took out his phone again, adjusted the camera angle casually, and pressed the shutter button, sending it to the other person.
[Image]
To his surprise, the other person replied almost instantly.
[?]
[You’re still outside?]
[Yes]
Qin Yu’s lips curled up involuntarily, his mood seemingly a bit cheerier now.
[Try walking a bit further from where you took the photo and look]
The other person replied unexpectedly.
Now it was Qin Yu’s turn to be confused.
[?]
[What’s wrong]
Qin Yu suddenly realized something. Could this guy guess some information just from a sunset photo?
He felt a bit regretful and prepared to recall the image.
Scrolling down, he found another message from the other person.
[There seems to be a small cat in front]
?!!
Qin Yu was internally shocked. His thumb swiped up the screen, opening the sunset photo again.
Indeed, at the edge of the frame near the wall in front, he discovered the tip of a cat’s raised tail. It was barely visible unless one looked carefully.
TL Notes
- 1I will keep using bro/dude, because I find it awkward to use 哥们 gēmen.
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